FIRST PLACE
COASTAL LANDSCAPE
Balbriggan Lighhouse Blowing a Gale
Lambeecher, Balbriggan, Fingal, CO Dublin
This is not the first time I have captured this composition with Balbriggan Lighthouse but is my best attempt as everything just came together... a perfectly timed wave, the light in the lighthouse, the blue hour and the birds.
To get this shot, you need not only gusty winds but also the favoured wind direction which Balbriggan is most exposed to northeasterly winds.
Early January 2025 in the middle of a cold spell provided the opportunity though it was not my initial plan as I was in the mountains chasing snow.
I seen other photographers up there capturing waves which inspired me to head there as it looked too good to miss.
For this type of shot, you need to maintain a safe distance as it's not worth risking your life just for a photo and fortunately it's easy to in Balbriggan from Lambeecher using a telephoto or zoom lens which makes the waves even bigger in frame.
I took shelter right from my car window to avoid getting soaked as it was also a very wet day.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Seán Bruen
SECOND PLACE
COASTAL LANDSCAPE
Dun Laoghaire Pier Sunrise
Dun Laoghaire Pier, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin
From the West Pier, there is a great view of the East Pier at sunrise.
This particular morning was quite cloudy and initially there were no colours in the clouds.
Just at sunrise, for a brief period, the clouds above the pier lit up.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Kevin Grace
THIRD PLACE
COASTAL LANDSCAPE
Milky Way over the Murder Hole
Murder Hole Beach, Downing, CO Donegal
I captured this image of the Milky Way over the beautiful coastline of Sheephaven Bay during wonderfully clear August night.
It was my first night back out under the stars after the twilight nights of summer.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Brendan alexander
Ripples
Seafield Bay beach, Co Wexford
On a weekend break in Wexford with my wife, I went to the beach in search of early morning shots.
My attention was caught by the textures and colours in the rocks on the beach.
In particular in the case of this shot, the way the ripples in the rock surface echoed the ripples in the flowing tide.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Richard Boyle
Moonrise Magic
Greenore, Co Louth
This photo captures a striking moonrise over Carlingford Lough on the evening of September 17th, 2024, as the full moon ascended beside Haulbowline Lighthouse, illuminated by the warm tones of sunset.
The birds flying past added a magic touch.
The apparent size of the moon in comparison to the lighthouse is due to the use of a telephoto lens from a distant vantage point in Greenore, Co Louth.
While objects like the lighthouse diminish in apparent size as we move further away from them, the moon - being roughly 384,400 km away - maintains a constant angular diameter from our perspective.
This contrast creates a visual effect often referred to as the ‘Moon Illusion,’ where the moon appears disproportionately large near the horizon.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Ann Bruen
Light Breaker
Clogher Head, Co Kerry
While exploring the coast along the Slea Head Drive in County Kerry, I noticed massive waves rolling in from the Atlantic Ocean.
Using my 70-200mm lens with a fast shutter speed, I zoomed in and captured this shot of a wave emerging from the shadows and breaking into the light in vivid color.
The bright water contrasts with the dark background, capturing the power and movement of the ocean in a single moment.
This photo highlights the energy of the sea, with light and color bringing the wave to life.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Ciaran Willmore
Moon Over Cromane
Cromane Lower, Killorglin, Co Kerry
I live right on the edge of the Atlantic ocean and always look forward to watching the moon rise or set across the Macgillycuddy Reeks in the distance.
On this day, large storm clouds were rising fast on the horizon and a local fishing trawler had just sailed in from out at sea and was bathed in the last of the evening sun.
It was such a calm moment before the weather was going to change and I made the decision to try and capture it.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Nina Finn-Kelcey
Minard Castle and Snow Capped Reeks
Minard Lispole, Tralee, Co Kerry
With most of the country's roads impassible during the heavy snowfalls of January 2025, we were lucky on the Dingle Peninsula to have got a good fall of snow but the roads remained dry.
I had stumbled on this location a few weeks previously and had it in mind to return to get a shot of the castle from this angle.
The snow on the Macgillicuddy Reeks was a huge bonus.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Noel O'Neill
Milky Way
Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow
I wanted to get a shot of the Milky Way in a 'dark sky' zone, and reckoned Brittas Bay was a good location, with the iconic lifeguard hut as the foreground.
I went down in the middle of the night on Friday night/Saturday morning April 5th and captured the milky way at 4am.
Then the next day, Sunday April 6th, I headed back down again and with the aid of a very big moon I captured the beach hut just after dark 8.18pm.
I actually went back again at 4am Monday morning (April 7th) but the moon was too strong to allow me to get decent milky way images.
I combined the foreground from Sunday night with the Milky Way sky image from Saturday morning in Photoshop to create the composite image.
I used a Canon EOS R7 camera and a TT artisan wide angle 10mm lens for both shots, taken in the same place.
I was also lucky that the skies were clear all over that weekend.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Adrian Fingleton
